Rear view mirror support



June 1937- L. G. PONCE REAR VIEW MIRROR SUPPORT Filed April 2, 1936 IIIIIIIJ III. 1", r 1 VIII/[IA m H e m P JV c Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REAR VIEW MIRROR SUPPORT Lucien G. Ponce, Follansbee, W. Va., assignor to Liberty Mirror Works, a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 2, 1936, Serial No. 72,282 10 Claims. (Cl. 248-288) The invention relates to a rear view mirror sup- (Fig. 4) through the base of the shell in alineport for automobiles. It has for its principal ment with the opening l5. objects the provision of an improved mounting Extending vertically through the openings l5 of very cheap, simple construction which provides and i6 and through a similar perforation in the 5 for a wide range of vertical adjustment; which is bottom walls of the header bar sections, is the ball 5 very secure against displacement in its various rod or stem H which is of the non-circular cross positions of adjustment; and which provides a section shown in Fig. 6, so as to fit the openings reinforcing for the meeting ends of the header 5%) and I6. I'his is the preferred cross section, bar when such header bar is in two sections which as it insures the rod against turning, but in some 10 meet at an obtuse angle in certain types of motor cases, it may be desirable to make the bar of 10 body design. A further object is the provision of circular cross section to permit the adjustment a construction of the kind specified, in which of the mirror about a vertical axis. The lower the clamping means for the ball shank is conend of the bar is turned laterally (Fig. 2) and procealed in the header bar, thus leaving the space vided with a ball l8 in order to give a universal between the mirror body and header bar free mounting in the mirror casing, as later described. 15 from obstruction rendering the appearance clean Lying beneath the meeting ends of the header cut, avoiding surfaces for the collection of dust bars is a plate l9 which fits the contour of the and facilitating in cleaning of the mirror parts lower faces of the bars and is perforated to permit and header bar. One embodiment of the inventhe passage of the rod IT. The plate is clamped tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, rigidly to the header bar 1 by means of a screw 2 wherein: 20 which is threaded at its upper end into the Figure 1 is a rear View of the mirror, as seen shell 9, such shell being perforated and threaded, from the front side of the car. Fig. 2 is a section as indicated at 2| (Fig. 4). Extending through on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are the other side of the plate I9 is the screw 22 25 detail views of the shell which is located in the which passes through perforations in the header 25 header bar and acts as a clamp, Fig. 3 being a bar and bottom wall of the shell and is threaded plan view and Fig. 4 a section on the line IV-IV through the spring arm l2. This provides the of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line -VV means for clamping and releasing the rod 11. of Fig. 1. And Fig. 6 is a plan view of the ball When the screw is loosened, the arm l2 lies with rod or stud. its end spaced away from the end of the arm II, 30 Referring to the drawing 1, I are the parts so that the rod can slide freely through the openof the header bar which meet at the line 8 and in ing l5. When the screw is tightened, the arm l2 plan lie at an obtuse angle of about the degree is swung downward about the point 13 against indicated by the'line IV-IV of Fig. 3, which corthe spring of the metal, so that the opening l5 5 responds to the angle of the two halves of the is reduced in diameter and the bar is clamped windshield in certain types of body design. The between the ends of the arms. This provides a header bar shown is of the hollow type opening secure clamp, as any force applied to the rod upward (Fig. 2), and in the header bar sections tending to move it downward, tends to swing where they meet is the shell 9 which fits the conthe arm l2 downward due to the friction between 40 tour of the inner surface of the header bars and the bar and the end of the arm, thus increasing constitutes the clamping means for the ball stud the clamping action. It will be observed that or bar which carries the mirror. This shell is the shell 9 and plate I9 overlie the joint 8 beformed of relatively heavy sheet metal shaped tween the header bar sections 1, I, so that when as indicatedin Figs. 3, 4, and 5. these members are secured in clamping relation The base portion in of the shell carries a fixed by the screws 20 and 22, a very substantial rein- 45 horizontal arm or abutment ll of triangular forcing is provided for the joint. To improve shape, and opposite the end of this arm is a secthe splice action, the shell 9 fits the inner contour ond arm l2 connected at l3 to the base portion of the header bars and the plate I9 fits the outer of the shell, the arm being designed to pivot contours thereof, as heretofore pointed out. around the point l3 against the spring of the The mirrorconstruction, as shown in Fig. 2, metal. This arm is stiffened by upright ribs M comprises the glass plate 23, a paper sheet 24, a to insure that it will bend at the point l3. The backing sheet 25 of thin sheet metal having its opposing ends of the arms H and I2 are proedges spun around the beveled edges of the glass vided with the opening l5 for the passage of the sheet, and a stiffener plate 26 of sheet metal ball arm, and a similar opening I6 is provided which is of heavier metal than the backing sheet 25 and acts as a reinforcing therefor. Lying in the space 21' between the paper sheet 24 and the stiffener plate 2& is a box 28 of sheet metal which fits around the ball i 8, and acts as its housing. This box is pressed yieldingly to the left (Fig. 2) by a horizontal leaf spring 29 whose two ends are riveted to the stifiener plate on either side of the box 28. This is a common construction for giving a clamping action on the ball of a ball joint in mirror brackets and any suitable housing for the ball might be substituted at this point, the present invention not being concerned with the mirror backing or the housing for the ball.

The construction shown is capable of considerable modification without departing from the invention. Various other forms of wedge clamping means may be substituted for the one shown. The cross section of the ball rod may be changed to suit requirements and a round shank may, in many cases, be used to advantage. The long shank with a wide range of adjustment is particularly useful in connection with truck rear vision mirrors and permits the one mounting to be used with all windshield construction. Nuts may be used in connection with the screws 22 and 24 and the shell 9, in lieu of tapping the shell, if desired, and the screws may be burred at the ends to prevent them from being entirely withdrawn, such expedients being well known in allied arts. The rod H is shown as perpendicular, but on occasion, it may depart somewhat from the position which change merely requires a slight shift in the relative positions of the perforations l6 and i. The position of the mirror may also be shifted slightly by bending the neck of the rod I"! just back of the ball 18. In all cases, however, the fundamentals of the device are the same, namely the upright stud bar adjustable through the header bar with the clamp located in or above such header bar, and operable from the exterior of the header bar by a screw device. The header bar shown is of the hollow type, but the ordinary strip type may be used.

What I claim is:

1. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a metal header bar having a perforation therethrough, comprising an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and provided with a ball joint member at its lower end for attachment to a mirror casing, a clamp member for the rod on the upper side of the header bar mounted for movement relative to the rod and adapted in one position to engage the rod and in another position to release it, and a screw for moving the clamp member operably from the lower side of the header bar.

2. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a metal header bar having a perforation therethrough, comprising an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and having its lower end bent laterally and provided with a ball joint member at its lower end for attachment to a mirror casing, a clamp member for the rod on the upper side of the header bar mounted for movement relative tothe rod and adapted in one position to engage the rod and in another position to release it, and a screw for moving the clamp member operable from the lower side of the header bar.

3. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a metal header bar having a perforation therethrough, comprising an upright rod eX- tending slidably through said perforation and provided with a ball joint member at its lower endrfor attachment to a mirror casing, a clamp for the rod on the header bar comprising an abutment on the upper side of the header bar adapted to engage one side of the rod and an arm mounted for swinging movement up and down with its end in opposition to said abutment and adapted to engage the rod and clamp it against the abutment when the arm is moved downward, and a screw member extending through the header bar and engaging the arm for moving it down to clamp the rod when the member is rotated.

4. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a bar having a perforation through its wall, comprising an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and provided with a ball joint member at its lower end for attachment to a mirror casing, a clamp for the rod on the header bar comprising an abutment above the header bar adapted to engage one side of the rod and an arm mounted for swinging movement up and down with its end in opposition to said abutment and adapted to engage the rod and clamp it against the abutment when the arm is moved downward, and a screw member extending through the header bar and engaging the arm for moving it down to clamp the rod when the member is rotated, said rod being of non-circular cross section and fitting said perforation so that the rod is held against rotation.

5. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a horizontal metal header bar having a horizontal wall with a perforation therethrough, comprising a clamp seated on said horizontal wall and provided with a spring arm, an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and past said arm and provided at its lower end with a ball joint member for engaging a mirror casing, and a screw extending through the header bar engaging said spring arm for moving it into clamping engagement with said rod and operable from the lower side of the header bar.

6. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a horizontal metal header bar having a bottom wall with a perforation therethrough, comprising a clamp seated on said bottom wall and provided with a spring arm, an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and past said arm and provided at its lower end with a ball joint member for engaging a mirror casing, and a screw extending through said bottom wall engaging said spring arm for moving it into clamping engagement with said rod and operable from the lower side of the header bar, said rod being of non-circular cross section and fitting said perforation so that the rod is held against rotation.

'7. A rear View mirror support adapted to be applied to a hollow metal header bar open on its upper side and provided with a perforation through its bottom wall, comprising an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and provided with a ball joint member at its lower end for attachment to a mirror casing, a clamp for the rod in the header bar comprising an integral sheet metal member consisting of a pair of arms whose ends lie in opposition above said perforation and receive the rod between them, one of said arms being fixed and the other being movable downward against the spring of the metal in such manner that its end approaches the end of the fixed arm in such downward movement, and a screw member extending through the bottom wall of the header bar operable from the lower side thereof and engaging the arm for moving it down to clamp the rod when the member is rotated.

ror casing, a clamp for the rod in the header bar comprising a shell of sheet metal fitting the interior of the header bar members at their juncture and having two arms integral with the shell whose ends lie in opposition above said perforation and receive the rod therebetween, one of said arms being fixed and the other being movable downward against the spring of the metal in such manner that its end approaches the end of the fixed arm in such movement, means for securing the shell rigidly to one of the header bar members, and a screw extending upward through the bottom of the other header bar member and the shell engaging the movable arm and operable from the lower side of the header bar, all so arranged that said shell acts as a connection and reinforcing for the header bar members at their meeting ends.

9. A rear View mirror support adapted to be applied to a header bar made up of two hollow metal members which meet at an obtuse angle with a perforation through the bottom walls thereof where such bottom walls meet, comprising an upright rod extending slidably through said perforation and provided with a ball joint member at its lower end for attachment to a mirror casing, a clamp for the rod in the header bar comprising a shell of sheet metal fitting the interior of the header bar members at their juncture and having two arms integral withthe shell whose ends lie in opposition above said perforation and receive the rod therebetween, one of said arms being fixed and the other being movable downward against the spring of the metal in such manner that its end approaches the end of the fixed arm in such movement, a screw extending upward through the bottom of one of the header bar members for securing the shell rigidly there to, a second screw extending upward through the bottom of the other header member and the shell and engaging said movable arm and operable from the lower side of the header bar, and a plate fitting around the bottoms of the header bar members and overlying their line of joinder through which said screws also extend, all so arranged that said shell and said plate in conjunction with said screws act as a reinforcing for the header bar members at their meeting ends.

10. A rear view mirror support adapted to be applied to a horizontal bar having a vertcial perforation therethrough, comprising an upright ball stud for carrying the mirror extending slidably through said perforation, a movable clamp member mounted on the upper side of the bar adjacent said perforation and adapted in one position. to engage the stud and in another position to release it, and a screw for moving the clamp member extending vertically through the bar with its head on the lower side thereof.

LUCIEN G. PONCE. 

